Automatic water-register.



PATENTED NOV. 12, 1907.

H. L. & H. K. FAIRALL & J. KUNZMANN.

I AUTOMATIC WATERIRBGISTBR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 11. 1906.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

L HOWARD L. FAIRALL, HARRY K. FAIRALL, AND JACOB KUNZMANN, OF HIGHLAND,

CALIFORNIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 12, 1907'.

. Application filed July 17. 1906. Serial No. 326,935.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that we, HOWARD L. FAIRALL, HARRY K. FAIRALL, and JACOB KUNZMANN, citizens of the United States, residing at Highland, in the county of San Bernardino and State of California, have invented a certain new and useful Automatic "ater-Rcgister,

'of which the following is a specification.

The object of our invention is to provide an automatic water regulator' of simple, durable and inexpensive construction designed to be used in connection with irrigating canals for the purpose of registering the flow of water from an irrigating canal, and our object is more speciiically to provide means whereby the depth of the current flowing from the canal may be quickly and easily and accurately regulated so that the flow will continue at a predetermined depth regardless of the rise and all of the water within the canal.

Our invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained,

as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in our claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure1 l shows a iront elevation of the automatic water register embodying our invention. Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of same applied to an irrigating ditch I or canal as in practical use, a part of the spillway being shown in section. Fig. 3 shows an enlarged detail view of a part of the weir gate with the indicating tube and indicator applied thereto, and Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of the floating indicator.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, we have used the reference numeral 10vto indicate the spillway having at its Outer lower corners a discharge spout 11 and comprising a bottom 12 and upright sides to extend from a point above the highest water level of the canal to a point below the lowest water level and at the inner edges of said sides are the guides 13 for the weir gato, said guides extending from the top or' said sides to a point below the bottom of the sides and inclined or curved downwardly and inwardly to rest upon the bottom of the canal or ditch.

The Weir gate proper comprises a top plate 14 having a weir opening 15 near its top. Hinged to the bottom of the plate 14; is a series of plates 1G which are hinged together. All of the plates 14 and 16 are slidingly mounted within the guides 13 and by having the plates 16 hinged together, as shown, they will follow the guides 13 when the Weir gate is moved either upwardly or downwardly, so that no matter in what position the Aweir gate is placed, the water cannot enter the spillway,

except through the weir opening 15.

Fixed to the plate 14 of the weir gate below the weir opening therein is an indicator tube 17 open at its top and bottom and having a slot 18 at its front lace. It is also provided with a scale adjacent to said slot. Slidingly mounted within the scale tube is a Heat 19 provided with an upwardly projecting indicator arm 2() which has a lateral extension 21 at its top to project through the slot 1S and an indicator 22 thereon to stand adjacent to the scale numbers upon the said tube. This float 19 is arranged near the inner lace of the weir gate so that it will float upon the smooth water inside of the canal and it will not be affected by the fall of water over the weir gate, but will always float on the water level of the main canal. The said scale is so arranged with relation to the bottom of the weir gate opening that when one inch oi water is flowing through the weir gate opening, the indicator body willstand adjacent to the mark on the scale indicating one inch and so on. We have provided means for causing the weil' gate to rise and fall with the water in the main canal as ollows: The reference numeral 23 indicates two hollow floats standing at the sides oi' the spillway and connected by a trame 24. At thc top ol' this irame are two cross pieces 25 and 26. Fixed to the top of the Weir gate is a screw threaded rod 27 passed upwardly through the cross pieces 25 and 26. 28 indicates a hand wheel having a screw threaded opening to receive the rod 27 and said wheel is mounted between the cross pieces 25 and 26 and is in engagement with both. In this way the weir gate may be adjusted relative to the floats.

In practical use, we first place the spillway and the guides 13 in position inside of the bank of the irrigating ditch or canal with the trough of the spillway projecting through the side o the ditch or canal so that the water may flow from it to the point where it is desired to be used. Assuming further that it is desired to cause the constant 'How of water through the spillway amounting to a depth o two inches over the width ofthe weir gate opening, then the operator manipulates the hand wheel 28 until the indicator 22 stands adjacent to the point marked two inches upon the scale, When at this point, the level oi the bottom of the weir gate opening will be exactly two inches below the level of the water in the irrigating canal. Assuming that the water in the irrigating canal should fall, then the floats 23 will fall a corresponding distance and carry with them the weir gate which will drop by gravity, its lower end extending inwardly along the bottom of the canal. The iloat 19 will also descend a corresponding distance so that the operator may know at a glance just how much water is flowing over the Weir gate at a time. Correspondingly if the water in the canal should rise, the floats 23 would rise with it and elevate the weir gate a corresponding distance.

Having thus described our invention, what We claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent ot the United States7 therefor is l. In a device of the class described, a floating frame, a Weir gate adjustably connected with the frame, and a oating indicator adjacent to the weir gate.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a stationary spillway With curved guides at the sides thereof, a weir gate formed of a series of plates -hinged together, said plates slidingly mounted in the said guides, and means for vertically adjusting the Weir gate.

3. In a device of the class described, a vertically movable weir gate formed with an opening, a floating frame connected therewith, a scale connected with the Weir gate and a oating indicator adjacent to the scale.

4. In a device of the class described, a stationary spillway, a vertically movable weir gate formed with an opening connected with said spillway, a oating frame connected with the weir gate, a scale connected with the Weir gate and a oating indicator adjacent to the scale.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of a stationary spillway,A guides at the sides thereof extended downwardly below the Spillway and curved inwardly at their lower ends and a fiexible weir gate having an opening therein slidingly mounted in said guides and means for vertically adjusting; the weir gate.

G. In a device of the class described, the combination of a stationary spillway, guides at the sides thereof, curved downwardly and inwardly from the lower end of the spillway, a weir gate comprising a top plate with an opening therein and a series of plates hinged to the bottom of the top plate all slidingly mounted in the' said guides and means for vertically adjusting the weir gate.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination of a vertically adjustable Weir gate having an opening therein, a oating frame for supporting the Weir gate, a tubular scale fixed to the weir gate, a float within the tubular scale and an indicator carried by the oat.

S. 'In a device of the class described, a stationary spillway, guides at the inner sides thereof, a Weir gate slidingly mounted in the guides and comprising an upper plate formed with an opening and a series of plates hinged to the lower edge of the upper plate, a screwthreaded rod xed to the top of the weir gate, an openended tube fixed to the Weir gate with its bottom below the opening thereof and having a slot in its inner side, a oat mounted in said tube, an indicator connected with the oat and projected through the slot, two iioats at the sides of the spillway, two cross bars Supported by the floats and a hand wheel rotatably mounted between the cross bars and having a screw threaded opening, to receive the screw threaded rod.

HOVARD L. FAIRALL. HARRY K. FAIRALL. JACOB KUNZMANN.

Witnesses Bnss `FAIRALL, `CARRIE M. FAIRALL. 

